Podcast Summary: What A Day — "Why Conservatism Is Dead In The Trump Era"

Host: Jane Coaston (Crooked Media)
Guest: Bill Kristol (Editor-at-Large, The Bulwark)
Date: August 28, 2025
Duration (content portion): ~12 minutes (00:02–11:51)

Main Theme / Episode Overview

This episode examines how Donald Trump's presidency has fundamentally altered American conservatism and the Republican Party, fostering an authoritarian environment and undercutting the institutions meant to check executive power. Host Jane Coaston interviews longtime conservative commentator Bill Kristol about the collapse of traditional conservative principles, the erosion of institutional resistance, the formation of new political coalitions, and what the future might hold for American democracy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Authoritarian Shift in Trump’s Presidency

• Accelerating Authoritarianism

  • Kristol warns that the pace of authoritarian measures has increased significantly in Trump’s second term, describing internal consolidation of power and the politicization of federal agencies (e.g., DOJ, DOD, DHS, Federal Reserve) as dangerous trends.

    "I'd say the pace of authoritarianism is probably accelerating, not decelerating." — Bill Kristol (02:35)

• Intimidation Inside and Outside Government

  • He notes Trump’s strategy combines controlling federal structures and intimidating outside institutions (universities, businesses, media) alongside attempts to punish critics through government power.

    "If it [the federal government] becomes entirely a tool of the president... that's very, very dangerous." — Bill Kristol (03:14)

Weakness of Institutional Checks

• Congressional and Elite Compliance
  • Coaston and Kristol agree that Congress has largely failed to assert its independence, with party loyalty now overriding institutional allegiance even more than in past eras.

    "Congress has not really stepped in to keep itself powerful... GOP representatives and senators are basically avoiding meeting their own voters at town halls, and they just cede all authority to Trump." — Jane Coaston (06:43)

  • Kristol laments that not only Republicans but elites across academia, media, and business have failed to resist.

    "The degree of elite accommodation, including from liberal, central. Liberal central left elites, is really extraordinary and much greater." — Bill Kristol (05:36)

Shifts within Conservatism and the GOP

• Conservatism’s Collapse
  • Kristol contends that the core meaning of American conservatism, rooted in Reagan/Bush-era defense of liberal democracy, is unrecognizable in the Trump era.

    "I'm not sure conservatism means anything anymore. And I don't really call myself a conservative..." — Bill Kristol (10:35)

  • He stresses the disconnect between old Republican ideals and the current party, noting that old references (like Reagan) mean little to MAGA-era Republicans.

    "Reagan is as far from where we are as FDR was for where things were when I came to Washington." — Bill Kristol (10:35)

Building New Political Coalitions

• Pro-Democracy Alliance
  • Coaston notes and Kristol acknowledges that broad coalitions are forming across the former political spectrum—from never-Trump conservatives to progressive Democrats—focused on defending liberal democracy.

    "There is this broad pro democracy coalition, pro liberal democracy coalition, pro free society coalition...everyone from conservative or maybe ex conservative never Trumpers all the way over to pretty left wing Democrats." — Bill Kristol (08:46)

  • Kristol cautions against rehashing old left-center fights, urging focus on weakening Trump’s hold rather than ideological purity.

    "Can we just focus on stopping Trump...We have to weaken Trump now." — Bill Kristol (09:42)

The Republican Party’s Central Role

• The Real Problem: Party Over Principle
  • Kristol repeatedly emphasizes that the Republican Party’s submission to Trump is the linchpin allowing authoritarianism to flourish, with party loyalty subsuming all traditional institutional dynamics.

    "I come back to the Republican Party. We would have much less of a Congress problem if we didn't have a massive Republican Party problem." — Bill Kristol (08:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The right way to think about it is we're only seven months into a four year term and I'd say the pace of authoritarianism is probably accelerating, not decelerating."
  — Bill Kristol at 02:56

• "If it [the government] becomes entirely a tool of the president, the way justice and FBI have, seem to seem to have become, that's very, very dangerous."
  — Bill Kristol at 03:19

• "The degree of elite accommodation, including from liberal, central left elites, is really extraordinary and much greater."
  — Bill Kristol at 05:36

• "Party loyalty is trumping what was supposed to be the institutional checks and balances."
  — Bill Kristol at 07:16

• "The point of American conservatism in the Reagan Bush way, in my view, was to defend liberal democracy..."
  — Bill Kristol at 10:40

• "I'm not sure conservatism means anything anymore. And I don't really call myself a conservative..."
  — Bill Kristol at 10:35

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening and Context Setting (School Shooting & Trump Cabinet)
  00:02–01:13

• Montage of Cabinet Flattery
  00:44–01:13

• Introducing Bill Kristol and Main Interview
  02:05

• Trump’s Growing Authoritarianism and Institutional Response
  02:18–06:43

• Congress and the Republican Party’s Role
  06:43–08:17

• Political Realignments and New Coalitions
  08:17–09:49

• What’s Left of Conservatism?
  09:49–11:47

• Sign-off and End of Interview
  11:47–11:51

Summary Takeaway

Jane Coaston's interview with Bill Kristol underscores a consensus among critics that Trump’s presidency has not only deepened authoritarian tendencies within government but shattered the foundations of traditional American conservatism. Party loyalty, elite reluctance to challenge power, and an eroded institutional framework have left the pro-democracy coalition as the last line of resistance. Kristol’s critique pivots from regret to urgency—contending that only if the broad anti-Trump alliance acts now can the drift toward authoritarianism be resisted, regardless of old ideological divisions.